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Month: August 2014

by Dorothy Gebert • August 31, 2014 • Comments Off on Of swords, cigars, and books

If you were an 18th century officer in the British Empire posted to the rock of Gibraltar, besides your military duties, you wouldn’t have a lot to do. So to keep his troops out of mischief, Colonel John Drinkwater created the…

This is one of the twin fountains in Rossio Square, a major meeting place in the middle of Lisbon, Portugal. The bronze fountains, incorporating mermaid sculptures, were built in France and shipped to Lisbon for installation in the square in…

by Dorothy Gebert • August 29, 2014 • Comments Off on Roman tea in English style

Who would have thought there would be a small piece of England in the middle of Rome? To the side of the Spanish Steps on the Piazza di Spagna, I discovered Babington’s Tea Room, where fine tea and eatables are to…

by Dorothy Gebert • August 28, 2014 • Comments Off on Cool oasis in the Eternal City

Rome is known for its fountains, from the smallest wall fountains that provide drinking water to the large plaza fountains, which instill feelings of awe and grandeur. But this summer, many of them were under wraps being cleaned, repaired or restored. So…

by Dorothy Gebert • August 27, 2014 • Comments Off on It really does lean

The ultimate in touristy things to do when visiting Italy is to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. So when I was in the region recently, I had to go see it. “Leaning Tower” is not technically its name, since the structure…

by Dorothy Gebert • August 26, 2014 • Comments Off on Park in Nice is nice

I saw a great example of urban renewal during a recent visit to Nice, France. Promenade du Paillon is a park in the heart of the city, on a strip of land separating the old and new towns. Green space, walkways,…

by Dorothy Gebert • August 25, 2014 • Comments Off on Fountain of the sun

Since sun worshippers flock to the French Riviera for sea and sand, it seems appropriate to have a fountain dedicated to the sun god at the edge of the old city of Nice, France. “La fontaine du soleil” by sculptor…

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

– Mark Twain

Featured Posts

It’s not often one has the opportunity to see rare documents. So it was wonderful for me to be able to peruse original copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio and the Declaration of Independence, which were on display at the Dallas…